[Wallenberg syndrome: a review of 25 cases].
BACKGROUND
Wallenberg's syndrome is one of the most common clinically recognized conditions due to brain stem infarct, which can nowadays be identified thanks to modern neuro-imaging techniques. We present a retrospective study of 25 cases admitted to our hospital in the past eight years, to evaluate epidemiological aspects and clinical findings and to correlate these with magnetic resonance topography.


METHODS
Patients diagnosed in the Neurology Section of Hospital Xeral-Calde in Lugo between January 1989 and December 1997 as having Wallenberg's syndrome.


RESULTS
There was a predominance of middle aged men presenting at 55.06 years of age (range 30- 78). Arterial hypertension was the main risk factor (52%). There was a progressive form of onset in most cases. The commonest symptom was dysphonia followed by dysphagia. The commonest finding on physical examination was ataxic gait (24 patients) MR was positive in 22 of the 23 cases in which this was done. There were different clinical findings depending on the site of the lesion, whether rostral, caudal or medial. This is considered in the discussion. In most cases the prognosis was good. The commonest sequel was ataxia.


CONCLUSIONS
The results are similar to those in the literature. We emphasize the excellent correlation of clinical data and neuroimaging findings.
Rigueiro-Veloso
M T
MT
Sección de Neurología, Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo, España.
Pego-Reigosa
R
R
Brañas-Fernández
F
F
Martínez-Vázquez
F
F
Cortés-Laíño
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001259:Ataxia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D014854:Lateral Medullary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
Síndrome de Wallenberg: revisión de 25 casos.